Last



June 2 1925. I 1,540,370

C. M. sEARL LAST Original Filed April 21 192A YINVENTOR.

A TTORNEYS.

Patented June 2, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CLINTON M. SEARL, OF PORTSMOUTH, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE VULCAN LAST COM- PANY, OF PORTSMOUTH, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

LAST.

Original application filed April 21, 1924, Serial No. 707,796.

24, 1924. Serial No. 751,760.

T0 aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CLINTON M. SEARL. a citizen of the United States, residing at Portsmouth, in the county of Scioto and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Lasts, of which tively to each other to collapsed and extended positions. The present application is a division of my application filed April 21,

1924:, Serial No. 7 07,7 96. I

It is desirable in lasts of this type that the last be capable of being easily collapsed so that it may be removed from a shoe with out injury to the lining of the shoe and without stretching the shoe out of place.

In lasting a shoe the last is held upside downthat is, with the sole side uppermost-and inasmuch as a great deal of pressure is put on the toe of the last during the lasting operation, this tends to collapse the last, and consequently one of the objects of my invention is the provision of a construction in which the last is capable of withstandingthe stresses to which it is subjected during the lasting operation without collapsing, but may be readily collapsed by the operator when desired.

In one form of last now in extensive use, the fore part and heel part are attached to each other by a link attached to the fore part and heel part by pins so located relatively that a line drawn through their centers will fall above the axis on which the last parts move when the last is collapsed and below this point or axis when the last is extended.

In such a construction, the greater the distance the pins are below the axis of the last when the last is extended, or the greater the distance they are above the axis of the last when the last is collapsed, the more resistance the last will offer to collapse or ex- Divided and. this application tension, but this distance is limited inasmuch as the pins must be located in the last body itself, and in the case of wooden lasts the pins must be kept at an appreciable distance from the bottom or sole face owing to thedanger of splitting the last when the same is in use or when being moved from extended position to collapsed position or vice versa.

In the present construction I have provided an arrangement for attaching the two last parts to each other whereby an effect is obtained which is as efficient as the lowering of the pins in the above-outlined construction to the danger point, the resistance to collapse or extension offered by my last being very materially increased, without, however, necessitating placing of any pins at a point where they are likely to cause the last to split.

It is one of the especial objects of my invention to provide a last in which the last parts are held together under ten'sion and not simply held in expanded or collapsed position under tension.

It is a further object of my invention to hold the last parts together by means employing a lever, with the parts constantly under tension.

It is a still further object of my invention to hold the parts of the last together under tension with the parts so arranged that the tension will assume its maximum when the parts are either in their fully'expanded or fully collapsed position.

It is an additional object of my invention to provide the holding together of the parts under tension and to associate therewith a lever, the parts being so arranged that the tension will achieve its maximum at the completely expanded or collapsed position of the last parts. It will be realized that the tension may be created by a variety of means which may be very compressible or expandible, and thatthe details of creating this condition are not essential.

It is a further object of my invention to provide such mechanismto hold the parts of the last together under tension that it will not be necessary to have resilient links filed November or resilient anchor pins. Such means are eliminated and the same results are obtained.

It is a further object of my invention to p e he bald n o th. Par to t er under tension and the increasing of this tension at extreme positions together with means to lock the parts in extended position"by-' such tension means to resist the pressure, tendingto collapse thelast imposed on the bottom of the toe member in constructing the shoe thereon, until such tension, means is overcome by the operator breakingthe last.

The accompanying drawing is a sectional view. illustrating my invention.

Referring to the drawing, I provide a last. comprising a heel part 1 and a. toe part 2, divided by-an arcuate cut 3. These two parts are attached-to each other by a lever or link 4, one end of which is pivotally attachedto the toe part oft-he last at 5. The other endot this link extends into the heel part of the last, where it is pivotallyv connected at 6' to the broadened end of a lever 7, the-latter. being pivotally attached to the last heelby a fulcrum pin 8. The pins. 5 and 8 are disposed relativelyso that a line drawn through. their centers falls below the axis 9' ot. the last when the last is extended'and above. that. point wh n'the last is collapsed. The forwardend of the; lever 7- extends into the toe part ofthe. last. anda springlO is interposed between this end of the lever and the lever 4, this spring being under compression at. all times.

With the last parts in the, position shown in, full lines inthe drawing, it, will be seen that the, spring 10. tends to force the forward end of the lever 7 upwardly, and as a consequence the rear end ofthe link 4 is beingforoed downwardly, to thereby draw the twolast parts together and=hold-them in extended position under tension.

It will be apparent also thatwhen the last parts. are in collapsedor dotted-lineposition, the action of-the spring. 10 will hold the last parts in that position under tension. also..

In this embodiment of. my invention I have provided a. collapsible instep 11 attached to,- the end-of the link; 4' forward of the pivot 5 by. a link 12. lVit-h the last in extended position, the instep 11 will be held in itsv extended position by the link 12; When the last parts are moved to collapsed position. the point of attachment otthelink 12 to the link i is moved relatively to the last toe to thereby draw. the instep down. into vcollapsed.position.

It will be apparent that I have provided a last structure wherein the, last parts are held; in extended position and. in collapsed position, undertension, thereby providing a structure. which will successtully withstand accidental collapse or extension of the last parts when the same are in use in the manufacture of shoes. It will be seen also that in my invention I provide a structure in which the force exerted on the last parts to hold the last in extended and in collapsed position is or some magnitude, my improved construction being such, however, that this increase in force is provided without weakening the last. In other words, more power is available for holding the last parts in adjusted position due to my improved structure than is possible in lasts as now manuiactured.

It will be seen also that I have provided a last structure wherein the last parts are held in extended position and in collapsed position under greatest tension. In other words, the tension underwhich the last parts are held to each other when the last is extended or when the lastis collapsed, as the case may be, is greater than the tension under which the last parts are held when in an intermediate position.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I. claim as new: and-desire to secureby Letters Patent is 1. In a last of the divided type and comprising a toe part and'a heel part, a collapsible instep for the, toe part, alink pivotally attached to the toe part. intermediate the ends of said link, therear end of saidl-ink extending into the heel1pa-rt, an instep link attached to the forward end. of the firstmentionedlink and'to, saidinstep section, a second link pivoted to'the heel part of the last andrpivotally attached to said firstmentioned link at a point remote from the point of: attachment of the. second link to the heel part of the last, and a. spring interposed'bet ween the last-mentioned link and the first-mentioned link for actuating said links in a dircctionto shortenthe distance between thepoints of. attachment of said links. to the last parts to maintain the last parts in. extended positionand-in collapsed. position under tension, said instep link maintainingthe. instep in. extended position when the last is. extended and drawingtheinstep into collapsed position when the last is collapsed.

2. In a last of the. divided type and. comprising a toepart and'a heel part, a collap;- sible instep forthetoe part, a link pivotally attached to the toe part intermediate the ends of said link, the rear end of said link extending. into the heel part, an instep link attached to: the forward end of the firstment-ioned link andto. said instep section, a second link pivoted to the heel part of the last and pivotally attached, to said first mentionedlink at a point remote from. the point: of attachment of I the second link to the heel part ,of the. last, and a spring inter. posed. between the free end of the last-inen.-. tioned. link and the first-mentioned linkat a point intermediate its ends for actuating sition when the last is extended and drawsaid links in a direction to shorten the dising the instep into collapsed position when tance between the points of attachment of the last is collapsed. 10

said links to the last parts to maintain the In testimony whereof, I afiix my signa- 5 last parts in extended position and in colture.

lapsed position under tension, said instep link maintaining the instep in extended po- CLINTON M. SEARL. 

